But on the morning of Jan. 9, Rory Feek posted the words that he knew fans around the world didn’t want to hear.

The end is near for his dear wife Joey.

“And now, here I sit beside my dying wife,” Feek said in his blog post, which originally began by telling the story of the coming true song that they recorded a few years back and will now be included on their new album set for release in February. “I don’t say those words lightly.”

Feek stated that Joey’s pain medication has quadrupled in the last four days and that those painful conversations about the end have grown louder in recent days. Joey has said that she is ready to go home, if God is ready to take her.

Joey was diagnosed with cervical cancer in May 2014, three months after giving birth to the couple’s daughter, Indiana. She stopped treatment late last year when it proved to be ineffective.

Along with the post, Feek posted a video of the duo performing "When I'm Gone," which takes on a more poignant meaning considering the couple's current circumstances.